Since the invention of the long firearm, there has been a need to safely and effectively carry, handle and manipulate the weapon. One solution to the problem is the use of a sling. Slings are connected to firearms, and other devices, in many ways, but one of the most common is the use of a sling swivel. The sling swivel, as the name suggests, allows the sling to pivot, or swivel, in relation to the object being carried. This allows for greater freedom of movement on the part of the user. However, despite many advances in sling technology, slings can sometimes encumber or entangle the user more than it can help. For this reason, many sling swivels have been developed with a quick detach feature. In most cases, the quick detach feature of a sling swivel is an internal spring loaded plunger that biases a plurality of ball bearings through the swivel casing. The ball bearings then interface with a ridge in a swivel socket and hold the swivel in place. When desired, the user simply depresses the plunger and the bias on the ball bearings is removed, allowing them to roll into the casing and thereby allowing the swivel to be removed from the socket.
The current designs of the prior art do have one disadvantage. The action used to release the ball bearings directly opposes the action to remove the swivel from the socket. While this does help prevent accidental removal, it is counter-intuitive and somewhat awkward.
The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the quick detach swivel of the present invention utilizes a motion orthogonal to the action of removal. Being in a different direction than the action of removal, action of release still provides limitation to accidental removal; however that action is not counter to the action of removal and eliminates the inefficiency the counter actions provide in the prior art.